Scottish Executive

Aggregates Tax

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was consulted about the impact the introduction of the proposed Aggregates Tax will have on the matters within its responsibility, whether it has made any representations on the introduction of the tax and, if so, where details of such representations can be accessed by the public.

Angus MacKay: The Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a range of issues, including tax issues.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether an application for planning consent for a change of use of the accommodation at Dungavel House was made to South Lanarkshire Council.

Lewis Macdonald: No. South Lanarkshire Council advise that no application for planning permission was required because, in their opinion, the use of Dungavel House as a detention centre does not constitute a change of use in planning terms.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision there is for pre-school education of children of asylum seekers and refugees.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria children of asylum seekers and refugees have to meet in order to access pre-school education.

Mr Jack McConnell: The children of asylum seekers and refugees have, in principle, the same access to pre-school education as other children of pre-school age, resident in a local authority area. In academic year 2001-02, pre-school year children will be eligible for grant-funded education if they were born between 1 March 1997 and 28 February 1998. Children aged three will be eligible from the start of the term after their third birthday. Local authorities currently have the power to provide nursery education for all such children and from 1 April 2002 will be under a duty to secure this.

Central Heating

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what types of central heating systems will require to be upgraded or replaced under its central heating installation programme and what funding will be made available to allow the work to be carried out, all broken down by local authority area.

Jackie Baillie: The information requested cannot be broken down by local authority area. Local authorities advise that there are about 23,000 council houses in Scotland with no form of central heating. Scottish Homes figures show that there are about 6,000 housing association properties without central heating. We estimate that there are 40,000 over 60s households in the private sector across Scotland without heating or with a heating system which is broken down and beyond repair. Householders in the private sector can choose from a range of gas, electric, oil or solid fuel systems, subject to constraints of cost and practicability. Tenants in the social rented sector have the same choice where it is reasonable and practicable for the landlord to do so. The programme will be widened in 2004 so that 20,000 local authority dwellings can be upgraded from partial central heating systems to whole-house systems. The Executive is investing £26 million in 2001-02, £30 million in 2002-03 and £40 million in 2003-04. Resources will also come from the investment produced by community ownership and from the energy companies under their Energy Efficiency Commitment.

Contraception

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16467 by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 August 2001, what criteria, including criteria relating to the health risks to children from oral contraception and from being excluded from this initiative, an NHS trust will apply in deciding whether to issue a direction where an education authority and parents agree with the proposal from the health board to authorise school nurses to dispense emergency contraception on school premises; whether these criteria will be made known to the relevant organisations and individuals involved prior to consultation, and what influence any views expressed will have on a health board’s decision on whether to issue a direction.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive’s general guidance on the making of Patient Group Directions does not set criteria for directions on particular subjects. An NHS board would be expected to take into consideration all relevant factors, including the range of views expressed in any consultation and any specific guidance on a particular subject. The Executive is not aware of any board intending to make a direction in respect of school nurses and emergency contraception. The Executive is currently considering the content of specific guidance for use in any such case.

Drug Misuse

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to whom drug action teams are accountable and whether there are any plans to measure their performance.

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to measure the performance of Drug Action Teams.

Iain Gray: Drug Action Teams (DATs) are accountable to the Executive through annual corporate planning arrangements. They are required to report current and planned activity in their area to meet objectives across the four pillars of the drugs strategy and their own local targets, identifying direct spend on drugs issues. Their performance is assessed by the Executive and feedback is given. This year’s DAT plans will be published on the Scottish Drug Misuse website shortly at:

  www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether methadone is prescribed to drug users primarily to reduce anti-social behaviour or because it is the most clinically effective treatment.

Iain Gray: The decision to prescribe methadone, or any other pharmacological intervention, is made on clinical grounds based on the assessment of the nature and extent of the individual’s problem drug use.

Equality Strategy

Kate MacLean (Dundee West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the Preliminary Report on the Equality Strategy.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive presented its response to the Parliament today.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is monitoring implementation of the recommendations in Eating for Health: A Diet Action Plan for Scotland  and what monitoring reports are available.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive liaises with key sectors identified in the Scottish Diet Action Plan in order to monitor its implementation and this will be further enhanced by the recent appointment of the Scottish Food and Health Co-ordinator. Formal reporting mechanisms include the Scottish Health Survey and publications from the Food Standards Agency, Health Education Board for Scotland and from Scottish Executive funded initiatives to improve Scotland’s diet.

Mental Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its proposals for new mental health legislation following the Millan Committee’s Report on the Review of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984.

Susan Deacon: Our policy statement, "Renewing Mental Health Law" is being published today and copies have been placed in SPICe. The statement sets out our proposals for a new legislative framework, designed to respond to the needs, rights and aspirations of people in Scotland who use mental health services, as well as their carers and families.

  Our proposals reflect the great majority of the Millan Committee’s recommendations, and were informed by the views of the Mental Health Legislation Reference Group, which we set up as a source of advice and expertise and by the consultative events arranged with interests in the mental health field.

  For the first time, mental health law will be based on explicit principles, reflecting concepts of equality, fairness and respect for service users and carers. A new mental health tribunal will be established, offering greater scrutiny of compulsory care, and the rights of patients will be strengthened, while having full regard to issues of public safety.

  As already announced, a new Mental Health Bill will be brought to the Scottish Parliament early next year, giving Scotland, when enacted, modern legislation, which reflects the priority the Scottish Executive has accorded to mental health.

Planning

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of the report and findings of the Conservation Control Working Group as referred to in Planning Services: Third Annual Report of the Planning Audit Unit 2000.

Lewis Macdonald: Twenty copies of the October 1999 report of the Conservation Controls Working Group have been deposited in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Planning

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding the planning application concerning Thornwood Community Park, Glasgow.

Lewis Macdonald: No correspondence has been received by the Scottish Executive regarding development proposals at Thornwood Community Park, Glasgow.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail (a) the training given to newly recruited prison officers and (b) the in-service training given to prison officers at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Newly recruited Scottish Prison Service prison officers spend one week at their establishment followed by five weeks at the Scottish Prison Service College. They are then deployed as officers, and are contractually obliged to complete the SVQ in Custodial Care within two years. New recruit and in-service training at HMP Kilmarnock is a matter for Kilmarnock Prison Services Ltd.

Prison Service

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many days have been lost through sickness in each local and open prison establishment, broken down by staff category, giving the totals for each prison and the Scottish Prison Service as a whole, in each of the last three years and this year to date.

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost has been for each local and open prison establishment of the absence of prison officers through sickness in each of the last three years and this year to date.

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff, broken down by staff category, are currently absent through illness in each local and open prison establishment, giving details of stress-related illnesses or prisoner-related injuries, and what the total figures are for the Scottish Prison Service.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive, Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows

  The information requested is not held in the format sought. The following data is taken from available material.

  There are currently (as at 23 September 2001) 141 staff absent; 28 report mental health conditions including stress and six are absent as a result of assault by prisoners.

  


Establishment 
  

Average number of working days lost through 
  illness 
  


 

Average no. of working days lost through 
  illness
1998-99 
  

Average no. of working days lost through 
  illness 1999-2000 
  

Average no. of working days lost though 
  illness
2000-01 
  



Aberdeen 
  

8.2 
  

7.5 
  

10 
  



Barlinnie 
  

14 
  

10.6 
  

11 
  



Castle Huntly 
  

12.6 
  

9.1 
  

10.2 
  



Cornton Vale 
  

14.8 
  

11.8 
  

13 
  



Dungavel 
  

7.5 
  

13.4 
  

- 
  



Dumfries 
  

11.8 
  

13.4 
  

20.3 
  



Edinburgh 
  

9.8 
  

10.3 
  

11.9 
  



Friarton 
  

12.1 
  

13.6 
  

- 
  



Glenochil 
  

14.1 
  

14.3 
  

16 
  



Greenock 
  

7.5 
  

6.4 
  

9.3 
  



Inverness 
  

9.6 
  

6.4 
  

8.8 
  



Longriggend 
  

22.9 
  

14.8 
  

- 
  



Low Moss 
  

16 
  

18.6 
  

11.5 
  



Noranside 
  

5.6 
  

9.4 
  

9.7 
  



Penninghame 
  

11.2 
  

6.3 
  

- 
  



Perth 
  

10.4 
  

7.6 
  

9 
  



 

 


 

Average no. of working days lost through 
  illness
1998-99 
  

Average no. of working days lost through 
  illness 1999-2000 
  

Average no. of working days lost though 
  illness
2000-01 
  



Peterhead 
  

8.1 
  

10.6 
  

6.6 
  



Polmont 
  

10.6 
  

12.6 
  

10.9 
  



Shotts 
  

10.6 
  

10.1 
  

9.8 
  



Totals 
  

11.5 
  

10.9 
  

11.2 
  



  


Establishment 
  

Number of members of staff absent as at
23 September 2001 
  

Number of members of staff absent from work 
  for mental health reasons or staff assault as at
23 September 2001 
  


 

Current 
  

Mental Health 
  

Staff Assaults 
  



Aberdeen 
  

13 
  

2 
  

1 
  



Barlinnie 
  

14 
  

- 
  

0 
  



Castle Huntly 
  

2 
  

- 
  

0 
  



Cornton Vale 
  

9 
  

3 
  

2 
  



Dungavel 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Dumfries 
  

4 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Edinburgh 
  

1 
  

- 
  

1 
  



Friarton 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Glenochil 
  

23 
  

9 
  

1 
  



Greenock 
  

1 
  

- 
  

0 
  



Inverness 
  

6 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Longriggend 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Low Moss 
  

9 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Noranside 
  

2 
  

- 
  

0 
  



Penninghame 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Perth 
  

19 
  

5 
  

0 
  



Peterhead 
  

6 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Polmont 
  

14 
  

2 
  

0 
  



Shotts 
  

16 
  

3 
  

0 
  



Total 
  

141* 
  

28 
  

6 
  



  *Includes HQ, SPSC and Fauldhouse.

  Average Cost To SPS Caused By Illness

  


Year 
  

Average cost to the SPS(£ million) 
  



1998-99 
  

5.3 
  



1999-2000 
  

5.6 
  



2000-01 
  

 5

Rail Network

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17478 by Sarah Boyack on 28 August 2001, why it would not provide the cost of the Booz Allen and Hamilton study into rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports on the grounds that it is commercially restricted information when an estimated cost of the study was provided in the answer to question S1W-10834 on 1 December 2000.

Sarah Boyack: My answer to question S1W-17478 was given at the time when the Scottish Executive was in the process of inviting bids to undertake a detailed study into rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports. This study will build on work carried out previously by Booz, Allen and Hamilton and their report formed an integral part of the tender document. Consequently, it was considered inappropriate to reveal the final cost of the Booz, Allen and Hamilton study as this could have influenced the tenders received.

  My answer to question S1W-10834 gave an indicative figure of the possible final cost.

Road Accidents

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many traffic incidents on the A90 from the Forth Road bridge to Cramond bridge have been related to the installation of traffic lights for the bus lane.

Sarah Boyack: The A90 between the Forth Road bridge and Cramond bridge is classified as a local road. Traffic management and road safety measures on that section of road are therefore matters for the City of Edinburgh Council.

  Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the STATS 19 statistical report form. These returns cover only road accidents in which one or more people were injured: they do not cover damage-only accidents.

  The traffic lights for the bus lane on the southbound side of the A90 came into operation on 1 August 2000. STATS 19 returns have so far been received for nine months since that date. The returns for those nine months show that 15 injury road accidents were identified as occurring on the A90 between the Forth Road bridge and Cramond bridge. The returns do not provide information about the causes of the accidents, nor do they distinguish between accidents on the southbound lanes and those on the northbound.

  It should be noted that this figure is based upon the data which are held in the central statistical database and which were collected by the police at the time of the accident and subsequently reported to the Executive. They may differ from any figures which the local authority would provide now, because they do not take account of any subsequent changes or corrections that the local authority may have made to the statistical information, for use at local level, about the location of each accident, based upon its knowledge of the road and area concerned.

School Trips

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice and guidance it gives to schools in the public and fee-paying sectors on how school trips should be arranged and supervised.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in clarifying the legal duties to children and parents of schools, both in the public and fee-paying sectors, and of local authorities in respect of school trips.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice and guidance it gives on the training of teachers and other staff in the public and fee-paying sectors on health and safety issues affecting the arrangement and supervision of school trips.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote best practice in the arrangement and oversight of school trips.

Mr Jack McConnell: Guidance on safety in outdoor activity centres was issued to local authorities and independent schools by the Scottish Office Education Department in October 1994. While aimed primarily at safety in outdoor activity centres it was made clear that the guidance was also relevant when planning visits to centres which provide other educationally related activities away from normal school premises.

  It is the responsibility of local authorities, as employers, to ensure that a wide range of continuing professional development opportunities are available for teachers.

  This should include a range of activities that ensures teachers are well equipped to fulfil their responsibilities, outside the school environment as well as within it.

  It is for the local authorities and schools to ensure that appropriate steps are taken for the arrangement and oversight of school trips taking account of guidance which is available and previous experience in this area.

  I shall, however, continue to review whether there is a need to update existing guidance, or further promote best practice.

  It has not been suggested to us that there is a lack of clarity in Scotland concerning the legal duties to children and parents, of schools and local authorities in respect of school trips. This has not, therefore, been under specific review.

Scottish Transport Group Pension Scheme

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it first became aware of the level of Scottish Transport Group pension schemes’ surplus.

Sarah Boyack: The estimated sum receivable in respect of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes surplus is noted in the group’s report and accounts which are presented annually, formerly to the UK Parliament and now to the Scottish Parliament.

Strategic Planning

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16125 by Lewis Macdonald on 31 July 2001, whether it will list the dates of the meetings held between its officials and the Confederation of United Kingdom Coal Producers, whether the interests of any particular companies were represented at these meetings and, if so, which ones.

Lewis Macdonald: Executive officials engaged in the review of strategic planning met with COALPRO on 23 February and 20 April 2001. The meetings were arranged to discuss the position of opencast coal in that review of strategic planning. The views of COALPRO, as a national representative body, were being sought and not those of individual companies. The members of COALPRO who attended included individuals from Scottish Coal, I and H Brown, ATH Resources and J Fenton and Sons (Contractors) Ltd.

Voluntary Organisations

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many voluntary organisations have entered into three-year funding arrangements with (a) Glasgow City Council and (b) South Lanarkshire Council in each of the last three years.

Jackie Baillie: The information requested is not held centrally.